Interlocking relay structure



June 6, 19 50 Filed Dec. 30, 1948 ATTORNY 3 Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERLOCKING RELAY STRUCTURE York Application December 30, 1948, Serial No. 68,306

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electromagnetic relays and more particularly to latching relays.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel latch mechanism whereby the relay armature and the contacts actuated thereby may be latched in the position assumed when the armature is attracted by the magnet coil.

A further object is to provide a simple means for inactivating the latch so as either to effect the release of the latch or to permit normal operation of the relay.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relay structure that is readily fabricated by economical mass production methods.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned view of the relay in the normal or unactuated condition.

Fig. 2 shows the relay in the actuated or latched position.

Fig. 3 is a cutaway perspective view showing the relationship of the parts.

The relay shown inthe drawing is an improvement of the relay shown and described in the patent to Lake and Pfaii! No. 2,282,066, granted May 5, 1942. The relay described herein has all of the advantages of the relay described in the aforementioned .patent in addition to the advantaxes due to the latching means which constitutes the improvement overthe prior art.

The many attempts of the prior art to positively eliminate any bouncing" or chattering existing when the armature is attracted to the core of the magnet have been unsuccessful due, partially, to the inherent resiliency of the means employed to prevent such bouncing. The latching means forming the basis of this invention is a positive means which prevents the bouncing efiect from taking place. This latching means constitutes a positive lock on the armature when it comes into contact with the core associated therewith with the lock being released when a second magnet is energized.

Referring to Fig. 1, It represents a U-shaped frame of insulatin material having the contact members ll, I2, l3 and I4 moulded integrally therein. Within the frame I 0 is mounted the yoke l5 by means of screws I6, I! and I8. A flat magnet core l9 upon which is wound a coil 20 is symmetrically mounted within yoke l5 and secured thereto by means of a screw 2|. A flat armature 22 is pivoted against the upper face of yoke l5, and confined by the configuration of the moulding Ill, and by the yoke I5. It will be noted that the armature 22 is provided with a cut out portion 22a which straddles the rib Illa of frame I 0, and that the further out out portions 22b and 220 of armature 22 surround the moulded lugs lllb and tile of frame l0. Thus when the frame I0 and the yoke l5 are assembled with the upper end of yoke l5 abutting the lugs lb and lllc of frame In the armature 22 is confined. Two compression springs 23, only one of which is shown, contained in sockets lfld on both sides of rib Illa press the armature 22 against the face of the yoke l5, thus causing it to rock about the bevelled edge I5a of the yoke as a pivot when the relay is operated.

The flat armature construction has reduced wear to the point that it is negligible. The compression springs 23 bear against the armature and force it against the pivot point of the yoke l5 which diminishes the movement at the pivot point and as a result practically eliminates the oxidized deposit which has been called red rust. The compression springs 23 by forcing the armature against the pivot point of the yoke I5 provides a perfect magnetic seal. The springs 23 also serve to provide an armature spring return which is independent of the use of the contact wires, thereby aiding the damper stop, which shall be discussed subsequently, in stabilizing the armature to prevent rebound against the contact wires when the magnet is deenergized.

The flat armature construction and the negligible wear previously mentioned, in conjunction with the action of the compression springs on the ture to bow toward the core due to the magnetic force exerted by the energized coil. When the coil is deenergized, the bowed armature acts as a spring in itself to provide for faster return oi the armature and return of the contact wires to the normal position.

The relay frame moulding provides two stops at the pivot end of the yoke which permits quick assembly by placing the yoke against the stops and against a gage which contacts the armature at the end opposite from the pivot. The U -shaped construction of the frame moulding permits fastening to both sides of the yoke to prevent loss of adjustment which may result from warpage of the moulded frame. During the assembly of the frame III and the yoke II the thin residual ele-- ment 24 is inserted between the lower legs of the frame and the yoke, with the bent over portion of the residual element covering the face of the yoke ll.

A stirrup of insulating material is moulded to armature 22 with tenons 25a and 25b projecting through holes in the armature to secure it. The stirrup 25 is provided with holes 25c, 25d. and 25e through which pass the contact wires 26, only one of which is shown, consisting of paired wires having a V bend therein. These wires are relow bounce factor has eliminated contact bounce 4 caused by the rebound of the armature. In this position of the armature the stirrup 25 is not bearing on the contact wires 28 which in this po= sition are elastically supported by the apertured plate '21 and the contact members ll bearing on the same side of the contact wires 25 and by the contact members l2 bearing on the opposite side: By sliding the plate 21 beneath the screws l8 and I! the pressure between the contact wires 35 and the stationary contact members may be varied.

The addition to the basic relay structure just described to effect the latching and unlatching oi the armature 22, consists of the latch magnet coil 3|, the latch yoke 32, the residual element 33, the integral latch and armature combination 34, the spring 35 and the guard 38. The latch yoke 32 is secured to the coil 20 by means of the screw 2! with the residual element 33 compressed between the two yokes. The latch magnet is secured to the latch yoke 32 by means of screw 31. The residual element 33 has a perpendicular bend therein so that it can pass over the bottom of the notch 38 in the end of the latch yoke 32, such as shown in Fig. 3, and over the face of the core. The latch armature member 34 has notches which mesh loosely with the tongue on the end of the latch yoke 32 formed by the notch therein so that when the yoke and latch are assembled in the relay together with the spring 35 in the position shown in Fig. l and Fig. 2 the latch is resiliently confined and upon energization of the latch coil 3! is caused to rock about the face of the yoke 32 acting as a pivot. The latch member is provided with a thin elongated portion ll having the end thereof folded back upon itself. This elongated portion 4| extends through and beyond 22. This notch provides tongues which'straddlc the portion 43 of the moulding II and the elongated portion of the latch. When the armature 22 is in the normal position, such as shown in Fig. l. the folded back end of the latch It bears on the bottom of the notch 42 in the armature 22 because of the bias actionfof spring 35. When the armature 22 is attracted by the energization of core it it moves to the right so that the folded over end of latch 32 can move upward to allow the face 4 la. of the latch to abut the face of armature 22, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thus latch it. Subsequent energization of the latch coil 3| rocks the latch away from armature 22 to restore the armature to its original open position. If the core 20 and the latch coil 3| are energized simultaneously the relay will not latch and will function as a non-latching relay.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a-preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in itsoperation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

\ An electromagnetic relay comprising first electromagnet having a coil, a core, a fiat armature member and a yoke, the yoke of said first electromagnet having a pair of legs and a base member thereby forming a U-shaped yoke, the core of said first electromagnet secured to the base of said yoke and positioned parallel to said pair of legs, said coil wound about said core, the free end of one of said pair of legs having a beveled face, insulating contact controlling means secured to said armature, a U-shaped insulating supporting structure having a shouldered portion in the face of the free end of one of the arms thereof,- said shouldered portion having a pair of sockets containing a like number of compression springs, the open side of said U-shaped insulating structure and said U-shaped yoke facing each other whereby said beveled face is in close proximity to said shouldered portion, said armature positioned perpendicular to said core with one end thereof movably confined between said beveled face and said shouldered portion, said armature being biased against said beveled face by said springs to provide a perfect magnetic seal therebetween, a damper stop having a low bounce factor secured to said supporting structure, said stop adapted to cooperate with said insulating means whereby the contact bounce caused by the rebound of said armature is eliminated, a second electromagnet comprising an inverted L-shaped yoke, a core and a coil associated therewith, and a fiat armature member, the long side of said L-shaped yoke spaced from the base of said U-shaped yoke by a non-magnetic residual element and secured thereto, the core of said second electromagnet secured to said L-shaped yoke and positioned perpendicular to the core of said first electromagnet, the armature of said second electromagnet disposed perpendicular to the core associated therewith and to the armature of said first electromagnet, said armature of said second electromagnet being spring biased intermediate the ends thereof and pivoted about a face of said L-shaped yoke, latching the notch 42 formed in the free end of armature means integral with said armature of said sec- 0nd electromagnet and comprising a folded back REFERENCES CITED porno!" the free end of said armature The following references are of record in the first electromagnet riding on the .top of said me of this patent:

folded back portion, said latching means positlvely locking the armature of the first electro- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS magnet when said first electromagnet is en- Number Name Date ergized, means releasing the locking eflect upon 656,796 Thompson Aug. 28, 1900 said armature of said first electromagnet by en- 1,193,793 Jones Aug. 8, 1916 ergizing said second electromagnet. 1,724,924 Graham Aug. 20, 1929 1. 1,964,268 Morgenstern June 26, 1934 WESLEY PFAFF. 2,098,070 Stimson Nov. 2, 1937 CLAIR D. LAKE. 2,360,664 Field Oct. 17, 1944 MICHAEL FIEHL. 2,374,017 Iglehart Apr. 17, 1945 2,382,995 Immel Aug. 21, 1945 

